World Eggplant Day - Is Eggplant a Fruit or a Vegetable?

Did you know the eggplant is a fruit? Eggplant is a berry by botanical definition. It is related to tomato, chili, pepper, and potato.  Like the tomato, its skin and seeds can be eaten, but, like the potato, it is usually eaten cooked. I can't imagine biting into an eggplant like an apple or a peach. I always thought it was a vegetable and used it as such.

Photo by Nina Luong on Unsplash

In other parts of the world, eggplant is known as brinjal, aubergine, or baigan. In honor of World Eggplant Day which was last week, we compiled the dishes we love for all of you.  Have you eaten these dishes before? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments. 

1) Eggplant Pizzettes - When we are tired from cooking all the time, we like to switch it up and make these mini pizzas. The base is naan, topped with eggplant bharta and mozzarella/pepper jack cheese. 

Eggplant Pizzettes

2) Eggplant Raita - If you enjoy yogurt dips like Babaganoush and artichoke dip, then you have to try Indian yogurt dips or raitas. We make them with all sorts of vegetables like eggplant, green bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, long squash, beetroot, etc. This eggplant raita is great with toasted naan, pita, or with rice. 

Eggplant Raita

3) Stuffed Chinese Eggplant - My husband loves this dish. He can eat all of the pieces on this plate. I love it too because it is so easy to make. The secret is to buy fresh long eggplants. If they are too old or wrinkly, it will take for the eggplant to cook. I stuff the fried eggplant with dry coconut, spices, and fresh cilantro. You can serve it as a side dish or eat it with rice/quinoa. 

Stuffed Chinese Eggplant

5) Eggplant Bharta - This is another one of my favorite dishes because after I make the bharta, I use it on the pizzas as well as grilled cheese. If you haven't tried this combination yet, what are you waiting for? I love the sweet, tangy, and spicy flavor combinations. 

Gourmet Grilled Cheese with Eggplant Bharta

6) Guttivankaya (Stuffed Indian eggplant) - This is a typical Andhra dish and the masala is key. It tastes good with potatoes as well. Bagara Baigan and this dish are popular in South Indian restaurants.  

Gutti Vankaya (Stuffed Indian eggplant)

7) Eggplant Pulusu (Roasted Eggplant Stew) - This dish is made using the American eggplant variety. Traditionally, the eggplant is roasted over a fire, then the flesh is removed and cooked with spices and red onion. Our recipe is much easier. 

We hope you enjoyed reading about the various dishes we make using American, Chinese, and Indian eggplant varieties. What other eggplant varieties have you cooked with or eaten? Lastly, whether eggplant is a fruit or not, we leave it up to you to decide. Happy eating!

My Sister's Favorite - Eggplant Pulusu

We all have things we don't like eating. Whether it's an allergy or you just don't like it. I had a couple of things I didn't like eating when I was younger like cooked peas, chopped nuts in desserts, and elephant yam. As I got older, I was able to eat those things again. 

However, my sister has always disliked eggplant. And it's not a specific type of eggplant. She doesn't like all types of eggplant: Chinese eggplant, American eggplant, white eggplant, or baby eggplant. Over the years, we tried many ways to get her to eat it but all failed. I always tease her whenever I'm cooking eggplant, that I'm making her favorite. I wonder what she will say when she reads this post. 

I don't get why she doesn't like eggplant. I LOVE eggplant. I love it whether it's made into a dip like babaganoush or eggplant raita, stuffed eggplant, or stir-fried eggplant. There are so many ways to cook it. It's the sweetness that makes me go crazy for it. 

Today, I'm sharing a recipe to make Eggplant Pulusu or Roasted Eggplant Stew. It's sweet and sour and delicious as a side dish or when served with rice. 

Ingredients

• 1 large Eggplant (American variety), peeled and chopped into 1 cm pieces
• 1 red onion (medium size), chopped
• 4 to 5 green chilies, chopped finely
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• size of a large lemon of dry Tamarind, soaked in warm water
• 2 Tbsp jaggery or brown sugar

Ingredients for Seasoning

• 1½ Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp jeera (or whole cumin)
• 5 to 6 curry leaves (optional)
• A pinch of Hing (Asaphoetida)
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped for garnish (optional)

Procedure

1)  Heat oil on low to medium in a non-stick pan (large enough to hold the eggplant pieces). When you feel the heat from the oil, add mustard and cumin. When they start to sizzle, add curry leaves and Hing. Mix well. 

2) Next, add the chopped eggplant, green chilies, and salt and mix well. Cover the pan and cook the mixture until the eggplant is soft. Mix intermittently. 

3) In a blender, pulse the soaked tamarind with 1½ cups of water a few times. Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the fiber. 

4) Mix the tamarind juice into the cooked eggplant mixture. Next, add brown sugar, turmeric, and chopped onions. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

 

5) Remove from heat. Taste and adjust the salt and sweetness to your liking. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy it with rice, quinoa, chappati, or naan. 

Do you like eggplant? Let us know in the comments if you try this dish. We love hearing from our readers.